1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to beverage heaters and coolers, and more particularly to vehicle mounted beverage holders and heaters and coolers.
2. Background Information
There has long been a need for serving hot or cold beverages in a vehicle such as an automobile. In the past this has been accomplished by the use of insulated cups or cup holders, which maintain the temperature of the beverage inside the cup, whether it is hot or cold. Other devices also have been utilized, such as a resistance coil heater, which is immersed in the beverage, and which heats the beverage when power is supplied through the coil. Other devices have been add-ons to the vehicle heating or cooling system, so that air from the heating or cooling duct heats or cools one or more beverage cups before the air enters the passenger compartment of the vehicle. All of these methods have their drawbacks. Insulating type cup holders merely slow the equalization of temperature between the beverage and the ambient temperature of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Eventually the coffee will become cool, and the pop will become warm. Systems which utilize active heating and cooling systems can be complicated, and may require more than one hand to place a container in the heater or cooler, and more than one hand to extract the container from the device. These devices are not safe for the driver to use, and are unhandy for passengers to use. Heaters or coolers which are based on the vehicle heating or cooling system require that the heater be on in order to heat a cup of coffee, and require that the air conditioner be on to cool a cold drink. The users of the vehicle may not want the heater or air conditioning on at that time. Also, if one person wants a hot drink and one person wants a cold drink, these systems require the heater to be used, followed by use of the air conditioner, which might not relate to these users' desires for air temperature in the vehicle.
Some of the drawbacks of these systems are solved in U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,479 to Carmi et al. In Carmi, a thermoelectric module is utilized to heat or cool a beverage placed in the device of Carmi. The thermoelectric module heats or cools a heat transfer mass, which has a concave surface, and into which a beverage container fits. However, Carmi has the disadvantage that the device is shaped to fit a particular circumference of container, and cannot adapt to different circumferences or different top-to-bottom tapers of a generally cylindrical container. Since the heat transfer mass is non-conforming, if a container had a ridge along its side, only the edge of the ridge would contact the concave surface, leaving an air gap between the rest of the container, and resulting in poor heat transfer. Carmi also has a locking closure which requires a two-step container insertion and withdrawal procedure, which could be considered unsafe and cumbersome in a motor vehicle context. If the device of Carmi is left on with no beverage in place, it will continue to heat or cool until it is turned off. In Carmi, air is blown through radiator fins in thermal contact with the thermoelectric module, to remove heat from the system.
Carnagie, U.S. Pat. No. 4914,920, also uses a thermoelectric module to heat or cool a beverage. The manner in which the beverage container is contacted by a heat transfer member, and how the contact is made is not fully described, except to say that a thermally conductive intermediate section of the housing is used to cool or heat the container. There is no mechanism in Carnagie to accommodate containers with differing circumferences or top-to-bottom tapers, or exterior ridges on containers. To use the device of Carnagie, the user has to insert a beverage into the device, select a heating or cooling mode, and turn the device on. Like Carmi, Carnagie uses air blown through a radiator connected to the thermoelectric module to remove heat from the thermoelectric module.
In Osterhoff et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,171, a spring tab mechanism on one side of a beverage container pushes the beverage container into a heat transfer member shaped complimentary to a cylindrical beverage container. Although the spring tab of Osterhoff would work on containers with differing circumferences or top-to-bottom tapers, the heat transfer member has no mechanism for adapting for varying circumferences or top-to -bottom tapers, or for exterior ridges on containers. Like Carmi, Osterhoff uses air blown through a radiator connected to the thermoelectric module to remove heat from the thermoelectric module.
Each of these devices have some or all of the following drawbacks: the device requires a two-step procedure to insert the container, and activate the device, which may not be safe in a motor vehicle context; the device is shaped to fit a particular circumference of container, and cannot adapt to different circumferences or different top-to-bottom tapers of a generally cylindrical container; if a container had a ridge along its side, only the edge of the ridge would contact the concave heat transfer surface, leaving an air gap between the rest of the container and the heat transfer surface, thereby reducing efficiency and speed of heating or cooling; heat is removed from the thermoelectric module by air blown through a radiator connected to the thermoelectric module, which is less efficient than a liquid heat exchange system, and introduces heat into the vehicle interior; and the device is not adapted to heat containers with handles on the side.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a device for holding beverage containers which is configured to self adjust for varying circumferences of the container and for varying top to bottom tapers of the container. This device for holding beverage containers stabilizes the container by the use of affirmative contact of the container contact member with the container side wall. The container contact members of this device intimately conform to the container side walls and provide active stabilization of the container. This device includes a sleeve which is filled with some type of medium, such as a liquid or a gel, and which presses against the container side wall, facilitating intimate contact with the beverage container, and adjusting for circumference in top to bottom taper. This sleeve can be of a generally cylindrical shape, and its surface material defines the medium in this generally cylindrical shape, and also defines an aperture for receiving the container. The sleeve can surround or partially surround the container, and engages the container in a frictionless engagement.
It is a further object to provide a device which can either heat or cool a beverage or other beverage container by the use of an active system, which is independent from the vehicle's heating and cooling system.
Another object of the invention is to provide a beverage heater or cooler which is activated by a switch, or by the insertion of a beverage container. Conversely, removal of the beverage container can deactivate the device.
A further object of the invention is to provide a beverage heater or cooler which has a heat transfer member which easily and automatically adjusts for different circumferences of containers, different top-to-bottom taper of containers, and for ridges in the outer surface of the container, while conforming to container shape and maintaining intimate contact.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a heating or cooling device into which a beverage or beverage container may be placed in one step and with one hand, and which would be safe for a driver of a vehicle to use while driving.
It is a further object of the invention that a container placed in this heating or cooling device is securely locked in place during heating or cooling, but can be released by lifting the container out of the device, or by pushing the container into the device to activate a release mechanism, either of which action can be accomplished by the use of one hand.
A further object of the invention is to provide a beverage heater or cooler which can accommodate beverage containers with handles on the side of the container.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description as follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.